


Magic Dance

by MisticRays



Series: Friends on the Other Side [2]
Category: Beetlejuice (1988), Beetlejuice (TV 1989)
Genre: F/M, Unlikly Friends, weird friendship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-01
Updated: 2019-10-13
Packaged: 2020-05-31 13:04:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,845
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19426570
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MisticRays/pseuds/MisticRays
Summary: For three years, Cassidy Montgomery has been trying, and failing, to free her best friend Beetlejuice. Now, a coven of witches has caught up to her and Cassidy is worried this might ruin everything.





	1. Three Years Later

**Author's Note:**

> Whoa. Sequels. You know I love em. So it's a shorter chapter for right now. I just wanted to summarize what's been going on for the last three years and get to the good bits.

Life is crazy. Sometimes you find yourself sky driving, sometimes you get married and sometimes...your best friend and roommate is an angry poltergeist slash demon who is throwing a tantrum.

“Will you calm down?!” I yelled as Beetlejuice threw yet another glass. I huffed a few stray strands of red hair out of my face, reaching back to tighten the pony tail it was currently in.

“NO!” He yelled back. His striped suit was wrinkly and his tie was askew. His wild hair seemed to be even worse right now, like he had stuck his fingers into a socket.

You’re probably wondering why I live with a demon. It’s...kind of a long story. My name is Cassidy Montgomery and a few years ago I summoned Beetlejuice. He’s gross, he’s creepy and he’s the best thing that ever happened to me. See, my parents died when I was eightteen and at the time I was feeling pretty down. I had no friends, I was pretty sure my parents never loved me and I could see ghosts. I know, right? Seeing ghosts is, like, top notch weird. But then, when I met Beetlejuice, my world was flipped upside down and has been ever since. Literally. My furniture was currently on the ceiling.

“Look, its not that bad!” I tried to reason with him. “You knew this was going to be a learning curve for me!”

“I’ve waited over six _hundred years_ for this,” he ground out. “And now I’m stuck waiting for _you_ to fucking learn magic! What have I done to deserve this?!” 

“Lied, cheated, manipulated, conned-” I ducked as a glass was thrown at me. “Watch it!”

S o after Beetlejuice tried, and failed, to get Lydia Deetz to marry him again, his old boss Juno showed up and demanded we sign a contract. I had to make an honest to God contract with him saying that only I could summon him and only I could free him. That is, once I created a brand spanking new spell! I mean, that only takes twenty years or so to master. It had been three years already and I wasn’t any closer to getting it right. I had been taking lessons from a witch to power up my arsenal of magic, I had poured over books upon books about creating spells and yet I couldn’t seem to get this one right. My last attempt landed Beetlejuice on Saturn where he was almost eaten by a Sandworm. Again. Which is why we now found ourselves in a screaming match. Both of us were exhausted and tired of all the failures. I wanted to help him out, I really did, but Jesus was it hard to not send him back to the Neitherworld sometimes.

Finally, he stopped throwing all of my glassware and put the furniture back where it belonged. One thing Beetlejuice hated was the thought of hurting me. I don’t know when it happened or why it happened but somehow this demon decided I was precious.  He was very protective of me and kept a watchful eye on my magic lessons. He was even jealous of the fact that I had other friends than him. It was kind of funny but annoying at the same time. And he hated it too. I swear there were times I thought he was going to kill me but he always stopped himself. 

“Kid,” he panted. “I can’t take much more of this.”

“Then maybe we should just...stop for a bit,” I suggested, also panting. Screaming matches with Beetlejuice were always tiring. “We knew this was going to take awhile. I’m sorry I’m not good enough yet but Trish said I’m making really good progress! Maybe once I’m full fledged, it’ll work.” Sighing, Beetlejuice deflated and nodded. With a wave of his hand, the glass mended itself and found its way back into the cupboard. Beetlejuice’s magic was amazing sometimes and I was still trying to get used to it, even after all these years.

While I was pondering the wonders of his magic, I suddenly found myself in a bone crushing hug.

“Ew, affection.” I groaned but put my arms around him too. Our relationship was a weird one at best. We were friends and I kind of viewed him as, like, that weird uncle everyone tells you to stay away from because he’s bat shit crazy. I was pretty sure he saw me as a thorn in his side most days and someone who was trying to kill him on every other day. Only when I practised magic though. It was never a dull moment though. 

W e stayed like that for a moment longer before there was a knock at the door. Pulling away from Beetlejuice, I headed over to the door and looked through the window.  Lydia Deetz stood on the other side looking...rather concerned. 

Lydia and I had met shortly after I became friends with Beetlejuice. He was gotten me to agree to extract revenge on the girl for trying to break the deal they had. I had agreed because he promised me answers about my parents. In the end, Lydia and I ended up becoming friends and I couldn’t bring myself to go through with the plan. A bunch of shit hit the fan after that and I was hospitalized for a while. Lydia forgave me though, along with her ghost godparents the Maitlands.

Since those events, Lydia and I had grown even closer and I started to view her as an older sister. She sure acted like it most days.

“Hey Lyds,” I greeted as I opened the door.

“So I was walking past, on my way to the cemetery,” Lydia began as I stepped aside to let her in. “And all I could hear was glass breaking and you two yelling. Care to tell me what happened?” She peered around the area, surprise on her face as she saw everything looked fine.

“She tried to kill me!” Beetlejuice called from the kitchen. “Again!” Lydia winced as he spoke and a wave of guilt washed over me. Lydia still hadn’t really forgiven Beetlejuice for everything that happened and I was ninety percent sure she was scared of him. She stuck around, though, for me. And because Beetlejuice didn’t have as much power as before. Good old contracts and their binding terms.

“Spell?” Was all Lydia asked. I nodded and shrugged.

“Little witch sent me to Saturn,” Beetlejuice rounded the corner, a box of cookies in hand. For a dead guy, he sure did eat a lot. “Hey Lyds.” Lydia scowled at Beetlejuice. He started coming up with different nicknames for her and, while she was fine with me saying them, she hated when he did it.

“So you guys got into another fight?” Giving me a pointed look, Lydia crossed her arms and raised her eyebrows. Even though she was somewhat okay with my choice to keep Beetlejuice around, she never failed to mention how dangerous he was. The Maitlands were especially brutal with it. I gave up trying to reason the why with them and decided just shrugging and nodding along was good enough. I was hoping that, eventually, the looks and the remarks would stop. But it had been a few years and so far, nadda.

“Don’t worry kiddo, we kissed and made up.” Beetlejuice grinned while I gagged. Lydia just rolled her eyes.

“Kay, well, I can still exorcise your ass.” With the threat out there, Lydia turned back to me. “As for you, are you sure you want to go back home this weekend? The bug show is coming to town!”

“I know,” I sighed. “But Melinda keeps bugging me to come visit. I can’t put it off any longer.” Melinda, the one who first introduced me to the world of magic, became a permanent part of my life on my twentieth birthday. She had somehow located my new address and sent me a note telling me to meet her at her store, The Black Cat. Apparently I had become the gossip of the Neitherworld for a time being and, through the grapevine, she heard everything that transpired. Melinda was a medium, like Lydia and myself, and she practised magic, although Beetlejuice said hers was fake. Now Melinda wanted me back for some sort of top secret meeting with a witches council. Beetlejuice was allowed to come but he had to stay out of the way.

“Alright.” Lydia nodded and gave me a hug. “Let me know when you get back to Winter River. Dad wants to take us on a road trip.” She rolled her eyes and we both giggled. The last road trip we went on was a disaster. Being stuck in a car with Delia for more than five minutes was hard enough but then we had Beetlejuice following us the whole time and messing with everything. It was quite the spectacle.

Once Lydia left, I slumped against the door and sighed. A headache was starting to form and I still needed to pack for my weekend away. A cold hand touched my forehead and I looked up at Beetlejuice.

“You don’t have to go, ya know,” he said quietly. “Melinda and those other witches can shove it. Trish even said you didn’t have to go. “

“But what happens if I don’t?” I asked. “We have no idea why they want to see me. Maybe it’s something really important.” Beetlejuice just tapped my forehead in response and moved away, heading towards the living room. I heard the TV turn on and the murmuring of the people on it. Sighing again, I headed for my bedroom and pulled a suitcase out of the closet. It was easy to pack what I needed, I was only going for two days, but my feet dragged. I was nervous but curiosity was getting the better of me.

Melinda’s message had been so...weird. First of all, instead of calling like a regular person, she sent a note by tying a piece of paper to the leg of a bird. Then, the note just said to meet her in two weeks for a witches meeting! There was literally nothing else. “ _Be at Black Cat in two weeks. The witches want to meet.”_ No names, nothing! It was maddening. And Beetlejuice was right. I didn’t have to go. I could have just stayed home and not given two shits but nope. I had to go and tell Melinda I’d be there. I was just happy Beetlejuice was allowed to come with me. He’d make the drive more bearable at least.

With packing out of the way, I headed back to the living room and plopped down beside Beetlejuice who was currently laughing his head off at some sort of paranormal show.

“Oh babes, you missed it!” He howled. “They just tried summoning a demon! It was great!” He threw an arm around me and pulled me closer, trapping me beside him. If there was anything I had learned about Beetlejuice over the years it was that he was overly affectionate. I got the feeling he was touch starved and I was the first person to let him anywhere near them. It was kind of funny, especially when he tried it around Adam and Barbara. Although, it was borderline sexual harassment when he did it to them. Try telling a demon that though.

Beetlejuice was very careful with me, to say the least. Everyone else was fair game but, ever since we signed that contract, he was always making sure to be on his best behaviour when I was around him. Like he knew I wouldn’t hesitate to send him to the Neitherworld if he did anything horrible. Which I had done before so his worry was justified.

That night, after I had slipped under the covers and turned off the light, I felt the bed dip as Beetlejuice sat beside me, back against the headboard.

“I have to be up early Beej,” I said quietly. “It’s a long drive.”

“I know,” he replied, just as quiet. “I just...I know I can be an ass but what I did earlier today, breaking your shit, I shouldn’t have done it.”

“Are you apologizing?” I asked, feigning shock. “My, my. The Ghost with the Most is apologizing to a breather.”

“Shut up and listen, will ya?” He pinched my arm and then grabbed my hand. “I know the last couple of years have been...weird. And I know I haven’t made things any easier. I do appreciate you trying to free me. I really do. And I know you’re trying your hardest to train and get stronger. I just hope my tantrums don’t scare you away from it.” I sat up and leaned against his side, resting my head on his shoulder.

“Trust me, if I was going to run, I would have done it the second all of this started.” I squeezed his hand, trying to reassure him. “I’m in this for the long haul. We’re stuck together, remember? The creep and the witch. Going where no normal being has gone before. Thick as thieves! Two peas in a-” Beetlejuice slapped his hand over my mouth and groaned.

“This is Hell,” he sighed, hand still covering my mouth. “I have been sent to Hell and you are the demon in charge of tormenting me.” I pulled his hand away and laughed.

“You’re the demon here,” I pointed out. “So, if anything, _I’m_ the one in Hell.”

“That’s true,” Beetlejuice nodded. “Now get some sleep. Don’t you know you have to wake up early? What’s the matter with you kid? It’s a long drive!” I grabbed my pillow and went to throw it at him but he was gone before the pillow made contact.

“Ass.” I muttered and settled back down under the covers. Yeah, life was really weird. And I was kind of loving it.


	2. Home Again, Home Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cassidy travels back to her old city to meet a coven of witches

“Cassidy!” Melinda greeted me warmly as she opened the door to her apartment. “Hello, dear! How have you been?” Melinda was the reason I met Beetlejuice in the first place. After she realized I had summoned him, we had a little falling out but patched things over pretty quickly. Actually, it was her who patched things over. I wasn’t too keen on visiting her again after everything that happened. It wasn’t that I didn’t like her or anything like that; She was a sweet old lady who reminded me of a grandmother. No, the only reason I didn’t want to continue contact with her was because of my teacher, Trish.

Melinda and Trish knew each other quite well, according to Trish anyways, and there had been some great stories about Melinda that made me...well, kind of iffy around her. She wasn’t a fake, as Beetlejuice believed, but she wasn’t exactly a shining star when it came to the witches. She’d stolen from, lied to and even tried to take over a local coven in her younger years. Whether this was the same coven who I was meeting with or not, I wasn’t too sure.

“Hi, Melinda.” I smiled and stepped into her apartment. She lived on top of her store, The Black Cat, and her apartment was a typical witch’s one. It had crystals everywhere, books upon books about spells and the paranormal, a small cauldron sat in her fireplace and incense burned constantly although I could never find the source of it.

“Matilda!” Beetlejuice burst into the room with his normal chaotic energy. “Long time no see! How ya been ya old bat?” I couldn’t help the smile that came over my face. Beetlejuice and Melinda definitely hated each other and watching them interact was interesting.

“Beetlejuice.” Melinda gave him a curt nod before ignoring him. “Now, Cassidy. The others will be here soon. I know they said he can stick around but...don’t you think it would be best to send him away?”

“Nope!” I smiled brightly and headed farther into the apartment. I felt safer with Beetlejuice there because I knew, at even the slightest hint of danger, we’d be outside faster than I could say his name. “So, Melinda, you haven’t told me anything about what’s going to happen today. Should I be worried? Am I in trouble for something?”

“No! No, no of course not,” Melinda shook her head. “This is merely them welcoming you.”

“It’s been three years,” I pointed out. “Three years of me practising magic. Why didn’t this happen sooner?”

“Well, it’s because the coven wanted to see how you’d do with Trish,” Melinda explained. “She’s has been very good with keeping them up to date on your progress and she only felt now was the time to have the coven step in.”

“Why?”

“Because something changed,” Beetlejuice cut in, glaring daggers at Melinda. “Right? We did something or something new has come up and now these witches want to scare you.”

“Actually, dear boy, we wish to welcome her!” A circle of women in flowing robes suddenly appeared around me. They ranged from all difference ages and races but one stood out more from the others. She wore a dark green robe with the hood down, showing off her raven black hair. She held a wooden staff with carvings of animals swirling around it, the top holding a round crystal. She had dark skin and even darker eyes.

“Whoa!” Beetlejuice yelped. “Where did you come from? And who ya calling boy?!” I couldn’t help but giggle at his outburst but I was quickly shushed by Melinda.

“Greetings, Sisters.” Melinda stepped forward and smiled brightly. “It’s been a while.”

“Yes,” the women in the green robe answered rather coldly. Even her expression became icy towards the other woman. “Quite on purpose, I assure you. The only reason we’ve decided to come to this...hovel...is to greet our newest member.” The lady turned to me and her expression melted into something more warm and welcoming. “Sister, I am Rose. I lead this coven. What is your name?”

“Cassidy.” I replied quickly. “Um...Can I ask a question?”

“Of course.” Rose smiled gently.

“Do I...do I have to be part of a coven? I’ve been kind of wondering that since day one. My teacher, Trish, keeps mentioning hers but never says if I have to join one or not.” I started fidgeting with the hem of my shirt. I didn’t like being surrounded by strangers and I especially didn’t like them staring at me.

“A coven will make your spells more powerful,” one of the others answered. “You draw from the power of your sisters. The more witches in a coven, the more powerful a spell.”

“But it is not necessary,” another one spoke up. “Witches on their own can create the most magnificent spells. You are already powerful on your own. We can sense this.”

“Joining a coven would increase your power.” A third one said. I was getting dizzy trying to follow who was speaking.

“We know your quest to save the damned one,” Rose finally spoke again, her voice soft as her eyes flicked to Beetlejuice. “While we do not condone freeing demons from their hellish chains, we can offer advice. It has been done before and the consequences were unmatched. Tread carefully.”

“See babes? Just here to scare you.” Beetlejuice sniffed. Rose held her hand up, telling Beetlejuice to stay silent.

“There is another reason we wished for this meeting.” Rose reached into her robe and pulled out an envelope. “There is a darkness brewing. It hunts those who can see the dead. Beware the Eye.”

“Beware the eye?” I tilted my head, confused. “What darkness?”

“The Eye is always watching,” one of the witches from before spoke up.

“The Eye can see things we cannot,” Melinda spoke so softly I almost didn’t hear her. “I was afraid they were coming back. I had seen the signs but I didn’t want to believe it. Cassidy, The Eye are a group of witch hunters. We don’t know how they sense us but they can. You must be careful.”

“Melinda is right,” Rose nodded. “Join us, sister, and we can protect you. Take you where it is safe.”

“But, my friends...” I furrowed my eyebrows. “One of them can see ghosts too. Is she in danger?”

“Yes.” They all spoke at once. \

“The Eye destroys those they deem evil. Those who consort with the spirits.”

“You have been walking beside a demon for too long,” Rose shook her head sadly. “Your aura is tainted. That creature has damned you.”

“Hey!” Beetlejuice shouted. “I’m right here you know!”

“We can protect you,” Rose continued. “You and your friends. The ritual is simple and you’ll become even more powerful than you are now.” She held her hand out and smiled warmly at me. Biting my lip, I considered what they were saying. It all seemed so...wrong. I couldn’t just abandon Beetlejuice. He wouldn’t let me even if I tried. And did I really want to be in a coven? Trish had already said I was powerful enough to stand alone and these guys were just confirming that so, what was the point? Decision made, I shook my head and stepped back. Beetlejuice was suddenly behind me and wrapped an arm around my torso, a sneer pulling on his features.

“You can take your warnings and shove ‘em. I can protect her better than you lot.” Beetlejuice’s voice was low and dangerous and I quickly pinched his hand to remind him of where he was.

“Thanks for the offer but I think I’ll take my chances,” I said to Rose.

“As you wish.” Rose bowed her head and opened her arms wide. “Sisters, let us leave.” All of them clasped hands and suddenly they were gone. There were no theatrics or anything like when Beetlejuice poofed himself elsewhere. One second the witches were there and the next, they weren’t.

I heard Melinda sigh and turned my head to look at her. Beetlejuice still had a death grip on me and didn’t seem to be letting go anytime soon so I stood rooted on the spot.

“What’s wrong?” I asked Melinda who was currently heading to an old rocking chair on one side of the room.

“I was kind of hoping you’d accept their offer,” she admitted. “They were right. You’d be better off surrounded by your own kind.”

“But they’re not my own kind,” I insisted. “I don’t know them. Lydia is more that than they would ever be. And I can’t just leave Beej behind.”

“This...contract that you made,” Melinda tilted her head as she rocked back and forth. “Does it say you have to stay by his side at all times? You have freedom, no? It’s only him who bears the weight of chains. Why do you insist on playing with fire?”

“Watch it lady,” Beetlejuice snarled.

“Because he’s my friend,” I replied simply. “He’s the first friend I’ve had in years. I’m not about to just abandon him because some witch tells me to. Plus, fire can be fun when you know what you’re doing.” As if to prove a point, I conjured a small fireball and let it dance around my hand.

“But you don’t know what you’re doing!” Melinda suddenly shouted. Her outburst took me back and I narrowed my eyes at her. “You’re a novice! Yes, you have power but what good is it if all you’re using it for is to free a dangerous, malevolent creature who has done nothing but lie and cheat through his whole afterlife! Probably his life too! He’s just using you again. Why can’t you see that?”

“I think we’re done here.” My voice was ice as I stood up straighter. I tapped Beetlejuice’s hand and he let me go, following me to the door after I slipped out of his grasp. I made sure to slam the door shut behind us with enough force to hopefully knock a few crystals off. I immediately felt bad for thinking like that but I wasn’t going to let it stop me.

“I love it when you’re like this,” Beetlejuice grinned. “All fired up and feisty. Come on, let’s go light some things on fire! Let that anger out.”

“Why do people think I can’t take care of myself?” I wasn’t really talking to Beetlejuice at the moment. I didn’t even really hear what he had said. “Lydia thinks I’m in danger, Melinda thinks I’m being used. The Maitlands think you’re just a sleazeball trying to have your way with everything that moves.”

“I mean, I _am_ a sleazeball trying t-”

“I just want one day where people don’t try and discourage me from everything!” I groaned in frustration as I unlocked my car and slid into the driver seat. “Just one day where I can practice magic and have nobody care that I’m trying to release a God knows how old demon.”

“Babes,” Beetlejuice slung an arm around me as I started the car and backed out onto the street. “When you’re as old as I am, you learn to not give a fuck about what others say or think. You should try it sometime. It works wonders.”

“Sometimes I think you’re the only one on my side Beej,” I sighed.

“That’s cuz I am,” he said proudly. “I’m the only one you can count on, darlin’. Hey! I got an idea! Why don’t we take a vacation. Just the two of us! I’ll take us anywhere.”

“I can’t just up and leave,” I laughed. “I do have a job to consider.”

“Awe, come on babes!” He threw me a pleading look, puppy dog eyes and everything. “You don’t need money! I’m loaded!” To prove his point, he made a stack of money appear in his hand.

“I don’t even know where you get that money from,” I shook my head. “So no, I don’t think so.” Grumbling, Beetlejuice sent the money away and slumped in his seat. I drove to the hotel we were staying at and headed up to the room. Flopping on the bed, I groaned and stretched. A nap sounded fantastic at the moment and I wasn’t about to let the moment pass. Slipping under the covers, I shimmied out of my jeans and tossed them aside before curling up into a ball.

Silently, Beetlejuice watched as I got comfy. I could feel his eyes on me but decided to ignore him. At least, I tried to under the felt the bed shift and he was suddenly beside me. I cracked one of my eyes open and found myself staring into his.

“I swear to God if you try and interrupt my nap-”

“Relax kid,” he gruffed out. He threw his arm around me and pulled me closer so my head was resting against his chest. “Just go to sleep.” I stiffened up a bit at first, we had never actually shared a bed before, but then a sudden thought struck me.

“You were worried, weren’t you?” I asked. “That I was going to go with them?” His hold tightened on me and I knew I was right. “Beej...”

“I wasn’t worried!” He boasted. “Who would ever want to leave this behind?”

“Whatever you say.” I giggled and slipped my arm around him, closing my eyes and sighing. Sleep didn’t take very long to claim me.

\- - - -

Driving back home the next day was uneventful. Beetlejuice stayed quiet for the most part. He learned not to distract me while I was driving thanks to a lovely car accident that landed me in the hospital again. Around nine at night I cursed Melinda for not investing in a computer so we could just video chat. The nap yesterday threw me for a loop so I ended up staying awake later than I had intended.

After I had woken up from the nap, I found Beetlejuice asleep beside me which was a weird sight. He rarely slept, ghosts not needing rest like the living did, but every once and a while I would catch him doing it. He looked so different when asleep; his face was all relaxed and unguarded.

“Hey babes?” Beetlejuice’s voice brought me out of my thoughts back to the task on hand; driving. We were nearing the turn off for Winter River so I was kind of happy he did so.

“Yeah Beej?” I turned down the exit, feeling relief that home was only another ten minutes away.

“Am I really so important to you that’d you would pass up the chance to gain more knowledge about witchcraft? I mean, they sounded pretty convincing. And this ‘Beware the Eye’ shit. What was that all about? I mean, I can protect you no problem but how could you pass up the extra power?”

“Because I’m not you?” I laughed.

“Hey!”

“You’re the one always flexing his magic around! You’d probably flourish in a coven. Maybe you can set one up with Adam and Barbara.” I laughed again as he growled. “Look, you know I’m teasing. And yes, you really do mean that much to me. I wasn’t lying. I could never just up and leave you. Fuck their warnings. This Eye is probably some bedtime fairy tale they tell children to scare them. Like we always say, we’re stuck together.”

“We’re stuck together,” he agreed.

“Besides, maybe Lydia can try her hand at magic and we can be a coven.”

“I think you need four or more, babes.” Beetlejuice chuckled. “But two is a good start.” We spent the last couple minutes of the drive throwing jokes back and forth, trying to make the other laugh harder. When I pulled into my driveway, I let out a happy sigh.

I loved my house. It was a one story, old fashioned, good country home. It was made from dark wood with a green tin, angled roof. It was big enough for us; two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a nice sized kitchen and a stellar living room with big picture windows and a fireplace. I had decorated it to my heart’s content, keeping only a few of my parent’s things that I couldn’t part with. My Aunt Trudy had moved to Winter River not long after I did, having met her now husband Mark while touring the town. They lived a few houses down from me so it was easy to just pop by and visit. She still didn’t know about Beetlejuice or the Maitlands and I intended to keep it that way.

I unlocked the front door and lugged my overnight bag into the house, Beetlejuice closing and locking the door behind us. I went through my night time motions, already half asleep, before flopping into bed. I felt the covers being pulled over me and a cold hand ruffle my hair.

“Night kid,” Beetlejuice whispered as I fell off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Awe I love my characters


	3. Friends? Who Needs Em

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cassidy has a hard morning at work and Beetlejuice just makes it worse

Don’t get me wrong, I loved my job. I had great co-workers, the customers were always friendly and there was never a dull moment. The only downside? My boss. He was a forty-five year old who thought he was still a twenty year old and flirted with all the female employees. He even went as far as to cop a feel sometimes. The company often found themselves short one person because the others couldn’t take the abuse. One of them, Maryann, had left crying after what ever had happened between her and Dave. I should have known to quit once I caught wind of it but I wanted to keep my job. I really did like it there.

Unfortunately, today was my unlucky day.

“Ms. Montgomery!” Dave Higgins. He was a complete and utter monster. He made Beetlejuice look tame in comparison. Dave was small and pudgy with beady little eyes and a receding hairline. “How was the city? I bet you miss it don’t you?”

“Not really,” I replied politely. I was setting my lunch in the shared fridge when it happened. Dave laughed and patted my ass. I shot up so quickly I narrowly missed hitting my head on the fridge. Whirling around, I caught the smirk on his face right before it dropped when he noticed the outrage on mine. “Please refrain from doing that. Ever again.”

“Oh, relax doll face,” Dave shrugged and tried to laugh it off. “I meant to pat you on the back.”

“No, you know what? I’m not letting you get away with that,” I crossed my arms and looked down at him. Thanks to my heels, I was a head taller than him and it made me feel powerful. “You don’t get to laugh it off. You have been sexually harassing us every day and I’m tired of it.” A group of people had started to gather in the break room. Some of them were nodding along to what I was saying and that just urged me to continue. “What you just did? Unprofessional. You’re our boss. You’re supposed to be our leader. Instead you just try to lead us to the closest bedroom.” Someone snorted and Dave went red. I could see his anger rising but I didn’t care.

“Now listen here young lady,” his voice held a warning tone to it. “You are walking on very thin ice. I’m the boss around here so you should be very careful about your next choice of words.”

“Screw you.” I grabbed my lunch bag and stormed out of the break room, passing people who were giving me nods of encouragement. Some people even began to clap.

“Alright that’s enough out of all of you!” I heard Dave shout. “Get back to work!” I ran to my car and floored it all the way home. I slammed the front door behind me and stalked into my bedroom, ignoring Beetlejuice who sat on the couch watching TV, and slammed that door too. I jumped onto my bed, grabbed my pillow, and screamed into it. Beetlejuice was beside me in an instant, his hands gripping my shoulders.

“Whoa! Babes! What happened? You’ve been gone for, like, two seconds.”

“My fucking boss!” I groaned. “Touched me inappropriately so I told him off and then he threatened me. So I left.” I felt Beetlejuice go stiff beside me and a soft growl sounded low in the chest.

“I’ll fucking kill him.” Beetlejuice went to get up but I grabbed his arm.

“No, don’t. He’s not worth it,” I sighed. “He’ll get what’s coming to him eventually. I’m going to send in a report to Human Resources and hopefully have some of the other employees do the same.”

“Nobody gets away with touchin’ you like that,” Beetlejuice ground out. “Especially without permission.”

“Well that is very sweet of you but I don’t need you to protect me from the evil force that is my sexually harassing boss.” I flopped back onto the bed and stared up at the ceiling. “God, I can’t believe I just walked out of there. What am I going to do about a job?” Beetlejuice lay down on his side, propping his head in his hand so he could look down at me.

“You could become a prostitute.” He said it so matter of factly that I couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

“No!” I hit his chest and he grabbed my hand. “Maybe I can work at the hardware store. Adam was saying he wants someone to take over it. Bill is doing a fine job but he’s getting up there in age.”

“Yeah, and have Mr. Stick Up His Ass breathing down your neck whenever you try to make a financial decision,” Beetlejuice shook his head.

“Be nice,” I chided. “He’s trying. All three of them are.”

“Tryin’ my patience more like it,” Beetlejuice grumbled.

“Hey, they’re my friends,” I nudged him with my elbow. “And that makes them your friends by default.” Beetlejuice gagged at the thought of it and I laughed again. “They aren’t that bad! And whose fault is it that they don’t trust you?”

“Babes! You wound me!” Being the over dramatic ass that he was, Beetlejuice lifted a hand to his forehead and fell backwards. “I was just doing my job!” I hummed in response and closed my eyes. His thumb started to rub the back of my hand and I could feel myself getting tired. I let sleep take me, wanting the morning to be over, but I wasn’t given a very restful slumber.

A dream came to me, one I never thought I’d have again. One I wished I’d never have again. I was sitting in the backseat of the car, my parents were up front arguing. We were coming back home from a party. Dad looked at my mom for a moment and then mom was screaming and we were swerving off the road. I was a flash of black and white stripes and then we hit a tree.

Usually the dream stopped there and I woke up but this time was different. This time it rewound itself and started from the beginning. And it kept doing this over and over. I relived that moment my parents died so many times in one dream.

I watched from the back seat as my parents argued. I couldn’t really hear them. It was just muted sounds, no words coming out. It was dark out and the snow was falling heavily. My dad hated driving in this weather. I was surprised they went out at all that night. My father turned to my mother, a retort on his lips, when my mother suddenly pointed and screamed. My dad turned to look and swerved the vehicle, hitting a patch of ice and losing control of the car. We were headed for the ditch, a giant tree right there and then...the dream rewound again.

The screaming, the flash of black and white, the tree...over and over again it happened until suddenly, it paused. We were mid swerve. My parents were frozen in a state of horror, my mother turning to look at my dad as he tried to straighten the car. I looked out the window and saw what looked like a deer running off into the woods but there was something else on the road. Rather, some _one_ else.

“Beetlejuice?” I asked, my voice echoing around me. He stood in the middle of the street, his hands in his pockets, and looked at the scene before him. As he took everything in, I saw a range of emotions filter on his face; sadness, anger, pity. When his eyes landed on me, a small smile appeared on his face. I opened the car door and stepped outside. It wasn’t cold like I was expecting it to be. I actually couldn’t really feel anything. The snowflakes falling around me did nothing to my skin, even though I was dressed in a fancy, sleeveless dress.

“This what you dream about, kid?” Beetlejuice wrapped his arms around me. I could feel him. Everything else in the dream didn’t affect me but I could feel him. Why? It was slowly coming back to me, something Trish wanted me to practice. Lucid dreaming. Beetlejuice sometimes used his magic to help me out. Was that how he got in my mind now? It must have been.

“I keep seeing them die,” I whispered into his suit. “I don’t know how.” I turned back to look at the vehicle. It was moving now, but in slow motion. “My dad...he wanted to miss hitting a deer in the road but the ice...”

“I thought you stopped having this dream.” It was more of a statement than a question. And he was right. I had stopped. I had only had the dream two other times since the very first one. They were always the same but that had been two years ago and they had been months apart. I didn’t understand why this was happening again.

“I did,” I replied. “I can’t watch this anymore. Wake me up.”

“Sure, babes.” He grabbed my arm and spun me around. Without warning, he grabbed my face to keep me still and planted one on me. My eyes flew open and I sat up in bed, a scream tearing from my throat.

“You son of a bitch!” I yelled and hit him. Beetlejuice fell over cackling. “I can’t believe you, you fucking pervert! I said wake me up not fucking kiss me!”

“It woke you up didn’t it?” He asked between laughter.

“Weren’t you just saying you wouldn’t let guys get away with pulling that shit on me?” I demanded. I stood up from the bed and stalked into the bathroom, slamming the door.

“Oh come on babes!” He called from the other side of the door. “It worked on Sleeping Beauty! Thought I’d give it a go!” I started packing my toiletries into a small bag, zipping it up quickly before storming back out of the bathroom. I almost hit Beetlejuice with the door but I didn’t care. Grabbing an overnight bag, I stuffed some clothes into it. “Babes?”

I ignored him and continued with my task. I wasn’t about to explain to him why it was humiliating or why I was so angry. He could figure it out. It was one thing to have my boss do something like that but Beetlejuice? I trusted him. Arms suddenly wrapped around me and he buried his face in my hair.

“Come on, babes. I’m sorry.”

“I’m going to stay at Lydia’s for a few days,” I bit out. Removing myself from his grasp, I headed out to the entrance way to grab my keys and phone and then I was out the door. The drive over to Lydia’s seemed to take forever, even thought it was only a few minutes. When I pulled up to the house, all the cars were gone. I pulled into one of the empty spots and slung my bag out of the car, heading up to the front door. Even if the living weren’t home, I knew the dead were. I knocked and waited, listening for footsteps. It took a bit, making me think they had been upstairs in the attic, when the door unlocked and opened a bit. I opened it the rest of the way and stepped inside.

“Cassidy!” Barbara greeted me with a hug. “How are you doing, sweetie?” I looked at her for a moment before tears started welling up in my eyes. Gasping, Barbara pulled me into a hug. “What happened?” So, after sitting down with a cup of tea, I retold the days events. Adam joined half way through, just soon enough to hear what Beetlejuice had done, and I could feel the anger rolling off of them.

“That no good, disgusting monster!” Barbara sighed. “I thought he knew better than this by now. I thought you were being a good influence on him, changing his outrageous behaviour!”

“I don’t think anything could change him, Barbara.” Adam sighed. “Although it isn’t something I condone.”

“Especially after what that horrid Dave did to you!” Barbara huffed. “If I could leave this house I’d give him a piece of my mind!”

They told me I could stay as long as I wanted, knowing Lydia wouldn’t mind the extra company. I plopped down in the living room and started channel surfing, trying to find something good. Only problem was, daytime television usually sucked. I eventually settled on an old horror movie, snuggling down into the couch and getting as comfy as possible. I could hear Barbara puttering around in the kitchen and soon the smell of food started wafting into the living room. Despite not needing to eat, Barbara never failed to be the first one in the kitchen to start making food. When I asked her about it once, she told me it was because cooking had a calming effect on her; She was able to get lost in the motions. And knowing that people liked what she cooked was a bonus.

I ended up dozing off a bit while I waited for Lydia to come home from work. I was still extremely tired and the day’s events didn’t really help with that. I felt like I could sleep for days. At least I didn’t end up dreaming again. I didn’t want to explain to the Maitlands about my morbid dream.

I was startled awake by the door opening and Lydia calling out. Stretching, I got up and headed for the kitchen, meeting Lydia there.

“Cassidy!” She greeted with a grin. “I didn’t know you were coming over today?” I gave a small smile and shrugged. Immediately sensing something was wrong, Lydia set her camera bag down and grabbed my hand. “What’s up?”

“Beetlejuice,” was all I needed to say and I was suddenly being whisked up to Lydia’s room. She closed the door behind us and sat me on her bed.

Twenty minutes later and I had recounted the tale again. Lydia had a similar reaction to Barbara, wanting to go back to my house and yell at Beetlejuice for what he did. I had to talk her down from actually doing it, knowing that those two butting heads wouldn’t end well. Eventually, I got her onto the topic of my boss which, while still a dangerous topic, was better than her going after Beetlejuice.

“I’ll write an expose!” Lydia flared up, pacing around her room. “ _Small Town Boss a Sexual Predator._ That’ll be sure to print.” Lydia worked for the local newspaper and it was a great job, especially for things like this. I was actually on board of running Dave out of a job. “We just need to talk to the others! Get some quotes. Dates, times, places...we’ll have his job in no time!”

Lydia went to her desk and grabbed a pad of paper and a pencil. We began forming a list of all those who had been part of Dave’s assaults and where we could find them. I knew one or two of them would be scared to talk but I had a pretty convincing argument. By the time night fell, we had a pretty good start to the story.

“So you never told me what happened with Melinda and the witches.” Lydia set the paper aside and looked at me.

“Where do I begin?” I laughed. “Well, first they wanted me to join them. Apparently if you’re in a coven, your magic grows stronger because you’re calling on the help of you Sisters. Then they warned me not to release Beetlejuice because he was capable of some horrible things.”

“I mean, I could have told you _that_.” Lydia muttered and I lightly punched her arm. “Well I could. So did you want to join them?”

“Not really.” I pulled my legs up to my chest and stared at the floor. “I mean, the thought of powerful magic is exciting but Trish said I’m already pretty powerful on my own. Plus, I’d have to leave here. You, Adam, Barbara...Beej...I couldn’t do it.”

“Are you going to forgive him for the kiss?” Lydia asked quietly.

“I don’t know,” I shrugged. “Sure he meant it as a joke but after this morning I was still pretty upset.” Lydia was quiet for a moment, playing with a stray thread on her comforter.

“I know...I know I’m not the nicest towards him,” she began for a few moments. “And you can understand why. I can’t trust him after everything he’s pulled. He behaves when you’re around though. Like he knows you’d disapprove if he tried any of his usual bullshit. But you really do have to be careful. Maybe listen to what the others said. If they’re worried he’ll cause chaos once he’s free of his curse, then maybe you should leave it be.”

“I can’t,” I whispered. “I made a promise.”

“You were fool into making a promise that you don’t have to keep. That contract with Juno...just send him back and be done with it.” Lydia went to reach for me but I pulled away from her.

“He’s my best friend,” I said with more volume. Blue eyes met dark brown ones and she flinched at what she saw in mine. “He’s the first person to understand me and I feel safe around him.”

“You may feel safe but are you really?” Lydia asked. “Can you look me in the eye and promise me he’d never hurt you again? Never put your life in danger for his own needs? Because he was more than willing to do so three years ago. He hasn’t changed that much. And can you be sure he feels the same about you? That you aren’t just a means to an end for him?”

I opened my mouth to say something, to defend him, but nothing came out. Because in a way, she was right. I had no idea what lengths he would go to in order to gain his freedom. He’d already tried forcing Lydia to marry him twice, he’d hurt me pretty badly when I threatened to take that chance away from him, and now I kept screwing up the spell that was his only shot. How much more could he take before he snapped again?

We spent the rest of the evening working on the story but my heart was no longer in it. My thoughts kept drifting to Beetlejuice and wondering what he was doing now. What I didn’t realize what that there was a black and white striped cat sitting outside Lydia’s window, listening in to our conversation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof. That was a chapter.


	4. Trouble in Paradise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cassidy gets a visit from her teacher and things don't go smoothly

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have been so busy lately I haven't been able to work on this. But here is the next chapter!

My eyes slowly opened as the sun filtered into the window. I was in Lydia’s spare room, facing towards the window, and I groaned. We had stayed up late last night and I was now regretting it. I turned away from the offending window, ready to snuggle back down into the bed and go back to sleep, when something caught my eye.

On the bedside table was a dozen blood red roses tied together with a black ribbon. Blinking, I sat up and gently grabbed them, bringing them up to my nose so I could smell them. I knew exactly who they were from, even though there was no card attached, and I sighed. How could I doubt he valued me as a friend when he did things like this? Humming to myself, I put the roses back down and decided to get ready for the day. I could hear movement downstairs so I knew Barbara was already in the kitchen making breakfast.

After a quick shower and a change into fresh clothes, I headed downstairs where the smell of bacon was wafting. Mouth watering and stomach grumbling, I entered the kitchen and was greeted by a stack of pancakes.

“Morning sweetie,” Barbara smiled at me as she set the table. “Breakfast is ready. Lydia should be down soon. I heard her moving about.”

“It looks delicious,” I complimented as I sat down. I heard Lydia coming down the stairs, the wood creaking under her, and was about to call out a good morning when she suddenly rounded the corner. In her hand were the roses, her eyebrow raised as she looked at me.

“I went to go see if you were up and I found these.” She lifted them up a bit so Barbara could see them.

“Uh...” I was at a loss for words.

“We should put them in water.” Barbara said quietly as she took the roses from Lydia and put them in a vase.

“He was here last night.” Lydia sat down across from me, her eyes still on me.

“I guess so? Or he magicked them in. I don’t remember hearing anything last night.” I bit my lip and looked down at the plate in front of me.

“Well at least he’s apologizing,” Barbara cut in. “It’s good to know that he realizes he’s in the wrong.”

“Yeah,” Lydia nodded. “Good to know.” I tilted my head and looked at her, kind of confused as to what she was insinuating. She had a weird look on her face, like she was suddenly realizing something.

“Well, eat up!” Barbara cut into my thoughts. “I couldn’t help but over hear some of your conversation last night so you’ll need the energy!” Right. We were supposed to start on the news breaking story. Right at that moment, I just wanted to go home and see Beetlejuice. But I knew I had to help Lydia with this story. I wanted Dave to pay for what he was doing and I wasn’t going to let some stupid drama get in the way of that.

So, after breakfast, Lydia and I grabbed all the gear we would need and headed out. Our first step was to interview all those who had been affected. It was a long list of employees but it would be worth it in the end. We decided to split up in order to cover more ground; I took one half of the list and Lydia took the other.

Alyssa Winters was first. She had quit a month ago after a rather nasty run in with Dave. As expected, she didn’t want to talk at first. She was a slip of a girl and was extremely shy and she was scared out of her mind about exposing Dave. I told her we didn’t have to put her name down, that I was going to do the exact same thing and that we were getting other employees to speak up on the matter. Eventually, she offered to tell me a little about what happened.

“I was at work late,” Alyssa started. “I had a deadline and I didn’t want to take any chances. Dave had stuck around so he could lock up after I left. Or so he said. He kept passing by my office every couple of minutes and eventually came in. I didn’t think anything of it until he walked behind me and...and...” A few tears rolled down her face as she recounted the tale.

“I think that’s all I need.” I handed her a tissue and stood up. “Thank you Alyssa. I know this isn’t easy.” I left the house with a heavy feeling in my stomach. If this was what all of them were going to be like, I didn’t know if I could handle it.

The next few houses weren’t as bad, the girls there having the same sort of thing that happened to me. They agreed wholeheartedly that this was the best way to expose Dave. By the time noon came around, Lydia and I had spoken to everyone who had quit. Now we just needed to speak to those who stayed.

“I have a feeling those ones will be tougher,” Lydia commented as we got into her car. “They might not think this will work and they won’t want to lose their jobs.”

“We have to try. They’ll be at work until four at least so we’ve got some time.” I looked towards my house and sighed.

“You wanna go home until then?” Lydia asked, guessing my thoughts.

“I feel like I should,” I replied. “I’ve ignored it for long enough.” I could only imagine what was waiting for my back home.

Instead of answering, Lydia just started the car and headed for my house. She dropped me off with a promise to be back around four and then headed home herself. I stood outside my house, looking up at it, and tried to calm my breathing. It wasn’t the first fight we had gotten into. Probably wouldn’t be the last either, knowing him. But this was different somehow.

Taking a deep breath, I walked up to the door only to stop as it silently swung open on its own. Biting my lip, I stepped through the threshold and the door slammed shut behind me.

“Beej?” I called out. “You in here?” A cold wind brushed past me, answering my question. “If you’re planning on sneaking up on me and scaring me it won’t work!” I walked farther into the house and came upon an...unusual sight. Beetlejuice was standing in the middle of the room, dressed in his black and white suit, with a bunch of roses in his hands. “Jesus.” I sighed as I stared at him.

“Nope, just me.” Beetlejuice joked, cracking a smile. “Look, kid, I fucked up. I shouldn’t have done that.”

“No, you shouldn’t have.” I crossed my arms and glared at him. Beetlejuice fell to his knees and wrapped his arms around my legs.

“I’M SORRY!” He cried out. “I SHOULDN’T HAVE DONE IT! I THOUGHT YOU’D LAUGH!”

“Beej, I’m gonna fall!” I started pinwheeling my arms, trying to stay up, but it was no use. I fell flat on my ass with Beetlejuice still holding on to me. “Ow...”

“Please say you’ll forgive me, babes!”

“If you’d get off of me, maybe I’d think about it!” I laughed. Instead of listening, Beetlejuice just clung tighter to me. “Oh my god. Alright! Fine! I forgive you!”

“Oh, babes!” Beetlejuice sat up and launched himself at me.

“AH!” I screamed as he wrapped me into a hug. We fell back onto the floor and I tried to pry myself away from him. “Get off!”

“Oh kid! I’m so glad you forgave me! I really am sorry!” He ruffled my hair and I slapped his hand away. After another moment of torture, he finally let me go and helped me stand up. “Did you get my roses this morning?”

“Yes,” I straightened my clothes and looked up at Beetlejuice. “Thank you.” He grinned and picked up the roses he had earlier.

“I know they’re your favourite so...” he shrugged and handed them to me. I took them and held them up to my nose so I could inhale their scent. A soft smile came to me and I looked up at Beetlejuice again. He was watching me, a weird look in his eyes, and a sad smile on his face.

“What?” I asked with confusion.

“Nothing.” He ruffled my hair again. “So! What should we do for the rest of the day? Watch movies? Eat pizza? You’re a free woman now! No job to get ya up in the morning.”

“Actually, Lydia is coming back around four to pick me up. We decided to expose Dave for the piece of shit he is but we need the other employees to back us up.” I decided to curl up on the couch, placing the roses on the coffee table as I did so.

“Oh.” Beetlejuice flopped on the couch beside me, flinging his arm around around my shoulders. “And then you have your lessons with Trish tomorrow. Ugh, I won’t be able to see you until after that!”

“Sorry,” I giggled. “I’m a popular person, what can I say?” Beetlejuice waved his hand and turned the TV on, flipping it to a movie and settling into the couch. I put my head on his shoulder and we watched in silence as the people on the screen were brutally murdered by really badly animated puppets. “Ugh, what is this?” I laughed as they showed one of the puppets moving.

“Puppet Master,” Beetlejuice replied, also laughing. “Dumbest shit I’ve ever seen.”

Near the end of the movie, Lydia showed up. Knocking three times, she let herself in and took in the scene before her.

“Cozy.” Was all she commented. I disentangled myself from Beetlejuice and grabbed my stuff.

“I’ll be back later,” I promised him as Lydia and I headed out the door.

Storm clouds were coming in as we headed to the next house. Thankfully, the rain held off until we were done with everyone else that needed to be interviewed. By the time the thunder started to rumble, we were back in Lydia’s car and headed to my house. It would take a few days for Lydia to write up the story and another few days for the editor to take a look at it but it was done. We had the witnesses we needed and they all pointed to Dave. I was elated. That scumbag would finally get what was coming to him and I couldn’t help the huge grin on my face.

Lydia insisted we celebrate once the story was out and I agreed. I thought about inviting the other employees and ex-employees too, so they could share in the good news. I hoped this would bring them as much joy as it was me.

Once Lydia dropped me off, I practically floated into the house; I was so happy. Beetlejuice seemed to catch onto my good mood and gave me his best grin as he watched me dance around. Music suddenly came on and Beetlejuice grabbed my hands, twirling me around the living room. I laughed and went with it.

“Good day?” Beetlejuice asked over the music.

“The best!” I laughed again. Beetlejuice twirled me around again before dipping me low. My red hair brushed the ground and I had to grab onto his arms to keep from completely falling over. “Dave is going to get what he deserves! Lydia is writing the story now. He’s going to be exposed as the jerk he really is and I can go back to work.” I gave another breathless laugh as Beetlejuice pulled me up. He moved his arms to encircle me and pulled me closer so my head rested on his chest. Caught off guard by the sudden act of affection, I froze up, unsure of what to do. He didn’t seem to mind though, he just held me close for a moment before letting go.

I looked up at him, confused, but he just ruffled my hair and moved away from me.

“Good to hear, kid.” He sat down on the couch and snapped his fingers, silencing the music. I sat beside him and curled my legs up, sighing contently as the TV turned on with another snap of his fingers. He flipped through the channels before landing on one of his favourites; a paranormal show. This team of ghost hunters were going through an abandoned church, jumping at every little sound they heard. Beetlejuice was cackling with glee every time something “paranormal” happened. At some point, I ended up drifting off, the day’s events finally catching up to me. I was awake enough to feel myself being lifted and carried into my room before being set down on the bed. I felt the mattress dip as Beetlejuice sat beside me and brushed some of my hair out of my face. It wasn’t long until sleep claimed me.

\- - - -

The next morning, I was awoken to the beautiful sound of knocking on the front door. Groaning, I sat up and rubbed my eyes. I was still fully clothed, my hair felt like a rat’s nest and I was pretty sure I slept wrong because my neck was killing me. And yet, the knocking persisted. Annoyed at being woken up so early, I stumbled out to the front door and opened it. A flash of black and blonde blasted by my as my mentor, Trish, ran into the house.

Trish. Where do I start with her? She was thirty-five years old and about two feet shorter than me. She had long blonde hair that was usually tied into a braid and always had a colour streaked through it; currently, it was black. Trish was also your typical biker girl; biker boots, leather jacket, tight pants, tank top and a spiked choker around her neck. Not really what you’d expect a witch to dress up as but I didn’t judge.

“Good morning sunshine!” Trish said cheerfully as she dumped a huge duffle bag onto the couch. “You look like you woke up on the wrong side of the bed!”

“Ugh,” I groaned and shut the door.

“I have just the thing for that! It’s a new blend I came up with just last week,” Trish dug through her bag and pulled out a metal canister. Trish was famous for her teas; people would come from all around just to buy some. She had teas that cured illnesses, helped ease minds, put people to sleep and then some. And she was always coming up with new ones.

Instead of waiting for an answer from me, Trish went right into the kitchen and started boiling some water.

“Where’s your ghosty?” Trish asked as she put the kettle on.

“Boo!” Beetlejuice’s head popped out of the wall, his features twisted to look monstrous and gross.

“Question answered.” Trish rolled her eyes. Beetlejuice frowned, upset that his face didn’t scare her, and stepped completely out of the wall. Changing back to his normal look, he came over to me and wrapped an arm around my shoulder.

Both of us watched as Trish made herself right at home, going as far as to raid my cupboards for something to eat. I shook my head at her, silently laughing. Trish was the kind of person who could worm her way into your good graces just by smiling and she was quick to pounce on that. I knew, once lessons started with her, I’d never get rid of her. Not that I minded. She may have been older than me by a lot but she was a good friend to have around.

Tea in hand, we made our way to the living room. Beetlejuice moved the coffee table over to the side, making room for us while Trish set up a circle.

“Now, today I want to continue with astral projection,” Trish began. “You did really well last time but it still took us nearly an hour. I know meditating isn’t the greatest but this is really helpful. Trust me.” After drawing a simple white magic circle, Trish sat down and beckoned for me to do the same. Beetlejuice hovered above us, watching intently. Ever since I started learning more magic, he insisted on being there for every lesson. I didn’t really understand why until I almost set the house on fire and he stopped it with just a snap of his fingers.

Sighing, I sat down and crossed my legs. Trish grabbed my hands and I felt her magic shift over me a bit, trying to calm my mind. I closed my eyes and willed myself to stop thinking. After a few moments, I felt my body relax and my mind open up.

“Okay,” Trish said quietly. “Imagine standing over yourself. See in your mind’s eye what that would look like.” I did as I was told, the image popping up easily enough. It was getting that image to come true that was the hard part. My nose twitched as I focused, my brows furrowing in concentration.

“A-CHOO!” Beetlejuice sneezed and my eyes popped open as I jumped. Trish looked annoyed and glared up at the ghost.

“Do you mind?” She demanded.

“Sorry, babes.” He shrugged and winked at me. “Look, if you just let me help out this would go a lot faster.”

“You can’t come in this circle, demon.” She reminded him for the hundredth time.

“So break it.”

“She has to do this on her own! Why do we have this same argument every time I come over? I’m going to start banning you from these sessions!” Trish huffed. She liked Beetlejuice but I knew he could get on someone’s nerves in an instant. It was a daily occurrence for me.

“Listen, kid,” he turned to me, ignoring Trish. “Baby doll. You wanna learn how to project? I can teach ya.”

“You just want her to learn black magic,” Trish accused. “Don’t think I don’t know what you’re up too. That fireball was bad enough. The last thing she needs is to learn any more from you.” Now Beetlejuice was kneeling beside me, holding his hand out.

“Come on. I got ya.” He gave me a crooked smile, his eyes flashing dangerously.

“Cassidy I swear to all that is holy, if you let him teach you anymore magic, it will be a step back.” Trish warned me, tugging on my hand so I would look at her. It wasn’t the first time Beetlejuice offered to teach me but Trish was trying to. He claimed he could always do it better and faster than her and I knew she was right that learning from him was dangerous so I always declined. But...I turned to Trish and gave her an apologetic smile, making her sigh in exasperation.

“Look, you are a great teacher and everything you’ve taught me so far has been great but I kind of want to see what he’s going on about.” I let go of Trish’s hand and stood up.

“Fine! Fine. Do what you must. But I am not going anywhere until I know you’re safe.” Trish also stood up and broke the circle, allowing us to step out of it. Beetlejuice whooped and shot up, taking my hand and turning me so my back was facing him.

“Okay. First, closer yer eyes.” He put a hand over my eyes, making me smile. I felt him shift and his face was suddenly right beside mine, his voice whispering in my ear. “Now. I want you to reach with your mind. Feel the world shifting around you. Don’t picture anything, don’t think of anything. Just. Feel.” I did as I was told and let myself go. He moved his hand away from my eyes, settling it down on my hip. I felt a flare up of magic, which confused me. I wasn’t sure if it was coming from me or not but I went with it. Grabbing onto it with my mind, I felt a pulling sensation and then suddenly I was standing in front of myself.

My eyes were closed and my mouth was slightly parted. A few stands of red hair were in my face and my eyes were moving under my eyelids. I looked at Beetlejuice, who had his eyes locked on me, a grin growing on his face.

“Look at you, kiddo,” he said, his voice full of pride. “Under a minute and she’s got it. I guess I’m the better teacher.” I heard Trish scoff but it sounded far off. Looking over to her, she was kind of hazy. “You’ll get used to that. The living look weird when you’re in that plane.”

“Is that how I always look to you?” I asked. It was weird, hearing my voice but not seeing my mouth move.

“Nah. Once you summoned me, I was in your plane so you cleared up.” He gently set my body down on the ground, making sure not to disturb me. I could still feel him, which was another strange sensation. Once he stood back up, he walked over to my astral self. I felt another flare up of magic and suddenly Trish was standing before me, clear as day.

“I have to admit, you did get her to do it quickly,” Trish nodded. “But don’t think I didn’t notice you help her along. She’s got to learn how to do this on her own.”

“And she will! But she’s gotta know what it feels like before she can be able to mimic it!” Beetlejuice replied. I had to stifle a giggle, they were too much like an old married couple.

“So what can I do while in this plane?” I asked, moving about. The world was so different. Everything in my house was hazy and I could feel the floor against my actual body but I couldn’t feel anything in my astral one. At least, until Beetlejuice slung an arm around me. That, I could feel.

“Anything ya want!” He grinned. “The great thing about this plane is you can be anywhere in a heartbeat.”

“ _But_ you have to be mindful of yourself,” Trish warned. “Any harm that comes to you happens to your actual body. And vise versa. So when you do something like this, you have to make sure you’re in a safe place. Have someone watch over you if you must. And remember, this is using up your energy just like moving around in your regular body would.” I nodded and lifted my hand; I was sort of see through, which weirded me out.

“So how do I get back to my regular body?” I asked.

“Let go of the magic,” Beetlejuice shrugged. “You grabbed it using your mind. Now let it go.” I nodded and closed my eyes. I could almost see the magic that I was using to do this so I just imagined it fading away. There was an odd tugging sensation in my chest and when I opened my eyes again, I was in my body. Beetlejuice was standing over me, grinning, and Trish was sitting on the couch frowning at the two of us.

“Cassidy,” she began before sighing. “Look, there is no easy way to say this but I think you should have gone with the coven.”

“What?” I asked, standing up. “Why?”

“You’re relying too heavily on outside forces to help you along,” Trish explained. “Not only that, but you’re relying on a source of dark magic. He is pure dark magic.” She pointed at Beetlejuice who looked offended.

“And that’s...a bad thing?” I raised an eyebrow.

“Yes! I’ve been trying to teach you how to stay away from that!” Trish stood up. “But so long as he’s here, he’s going to tempt you to use it. If you go with the coven, they’ll keep you away from it.”

“You mean away from him.” I crossed my arms, my face setting into a frown.

“You tryna tear us apart?” Beetlejuice scoffed.

“I’ve been playing nice. I’ve kept my mouth shut about this and I’ve pretended that everything is okay but, Cassidy,” Trish came over to me and took my hands in hers. “He’s. A. Demon. A pretty fucking powerful one too and you’re playing house with him!”

“You know, the whole reason I started these lessons was so I could break him out of this chain the Neitherworld has him on,” I said, taking my hands away from her. “That’s why I contacted you. So you could teach me how. If you weren’t planning on helping, what were you going to do?”

“Probably exercise me,” Beetlejuice answered, his voice low and dangerous. “She was going to waste your time on this high and mighty bullshit magic while figuring out how to off me.”

“You’re not good for her!” She finally exploded. “She shouldn’t have been shackled to you to being with!”

“Hey, she called me! I didn’t just show up to wreck havoc on her life!” Beetlejuice yelled back.

“Guys!” I stepped between the two of them. “Trish, I want you gone. Now.”

“Cassidy, send him back and go with the coven. They can protect you!” Trish grabbed my hand. “There is something coming, Cassidy. Something bad. You need to get out before it’s too late.”

“Out. Now.” I refused to look at her, my eyes were glued to the wall. Groaning in frustration, Trish gathered her things and headed out, slamming the door behind her.

“Alright, that is the second time somebody told you that something wicked this way comes,” Beetlejuice huffed. “And I want to know what the fuck they’re going on about.” I sat down on the couch and buried my face in my hands. “Maybe Juno will know something...” Beetlejuice continued on, pacing back and forth.

“Beej,” I sighed and looked up at him. “What if I can’t do it?”

“Eh? Do what?” He turned to look at me.

“Free you. What if I’m not strong enough?”

Beetlejuice was suddenly in front of me, grabbing my hands and resting his forehead on mine.

“Then you are going to have a very long life of me buggin’ the hell outta ya,” he smirked. “You’ll figure it out, kid. But I want to do some searchin’, find out what exactly is on it’s way. I think we should call that coven of bitches in and see what they know.”

“They said...whatever it was hunts those who have the gift of Sight,” I thought back to that day. “And that I’d be better off with them.”

“Which is bullshit. I’m the Ghost with the Most, ain’t I?” Beetlejuice puffed out his chest. “If I can’t protect you, nobody can.” I giggled and sighed. “Chin up. Go visit your aunt, you always feel better after seeing her. I’ll do some digging in the meantime.”

I nodded and stood up, gathering my keys and phone before heading out. Beetlejuice had already vanished by the time I was ready. The second he was gone, a weird feeling came over me and I just knew the next couple of weeks would be hell.


End file.
